West Seattle, Washington
07 Tuesday
6:13 PM: Fire crews have responded to a brush fire reported on the north end of Riverview Playfield. The scanner suggests arson is suspected and that someone was seen running away; the fire marshal has been called to investigate. No word of any injuries; we’re en route to check on damage. Also per the scanner, the fire is reported to have been in an area of roughly 6,100 square feet.
8:02 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Alan for the photo; he went over after the fire trucks left: “I hiked down to see where it was and took a picture. Sadly it appears to have been in a section that had recently been planted by Nature Consortium. You can see the melted grow tubes. Fortunately, it could have become much worse. The grass around it is tinder dry and we have a good breeze going.”
The latest round of coyote concern in West Seattle is NOT grounds for trapping and killing one (or more). We heard that today from a source that might surprise you – an agent of the federal Wildlife Services division who works in West Seattle. Last summer, we reported on his appearance in the Seola area, where neighbors were raising money for a four-digit “co-op” fee solicited for federal help; this year, Admiral residents seeking to do the same thing distributed flyers like this one. Then today, the agent called us out of the blue, to ask us to get the word out on what he advises people should do to minimize coyote conflict:
(NEWEST UPDATE BELOW: Response from regional Whole Foods exec, added 5:35 pm)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:58 AM: Mayor McGinn has told SDOT that he will not recommend City Council approval of the “alley vacation” request by the 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW (“Whole Foods”) megaproject. We’ve just obtained a copy of the memo from the mayor’s office – read it here or embedded here:
Mayor's memo opposing 4755 Fauntleroy Way alley vacation
The memo’s ending summary:
… it is difficult to see how the alley vacation proposal meets our public benefit standards when it does not support equitable economic development as stated in our Comprehensive Plan, does not support community vibrancy and walkability, and does not support our local urban design plans. It is the position of the executive that because this project is not in the public interest, we will not forward a recommendation to approve this alley vacation request to the City Council at this time.”
The project just passed Design Review last week, and has also been approved by the Design Commission, which reviews projects that require alley or street vacations, as does this 370-apartment, 600-parking space proposal. But other reviews are ahead because of the alley-vacation request – in fact, they were part of a separate followup we were working on when this broke – including the city Transportation Commission. (P.S. Since we believe in credit where credit’s due, hat tip Slog.)
ADDED 12:19 PM: As one commenter has pointed out, “alley vacation” isn’t exactly an everyday phrase. Here’s our basic breakdown: If a developer wants to buy and include city-owned right of way – part of an alley, or a street, or a “street end” – in a project, that right-of-way has to be “vacated” by the city – as explained here. West Seattle projects for which alley vacations were approved include Admiral Safeway and Spruce (formerly Fauntleroy Place, aka “The Hole”); one was also approved for the not-yet-begun Equity Residential (formerly Conner Homes) two-building project at California/Alaska.
(added) Here’s the east-west alley, looking to Fauntleroy from 40th, that the developers are asking for, along with part of the north-south alley:
Further south on the site, their proposal includes a “midblock connector,” seen here in the west-to-east view:
ADDED 12:36 PM: If you haven’t already read the mayor’s memo – he specifically calls out the non-union Whole Foods Market as cause for concern:
We have a strong commitment to social and economic justice at the City of Seattle. One of our core economic development goals is to provide fair and livable wages and benefits for our residents. The Economic Development elements of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan contain clear language to this effect: “seeking a greater proportion of living wage jobs that will have greater benefits” and “support key sectors of Seattle’s economy to create jobs that pay wages that can support a family, provide necessary benefits, and contribute to the vitality of the City including, but not limited to, the industrial, manufacturing, service, hospitality and retail sectors.” The primary retail use in the proposed project is a 41,000 square foot Whole Foods Market. There are already seven large supermarkets within a mile and half of the site, at least six of which offer employer-paid, comprehensive affordable health benefits for full and part-time employees and their families, as well as family-supporting wage scales.
Family health benefits and employee wage scales offered by the proposed anchor tenant are
significantly lower than other similar businesses, particularly for the growing percentage of employees who work part-time. In addition, if the City is going to transfer its assets or otherwise help grocers build new facilities, we should encourage grocers willing to locate in underserved areas identified as having low food security and poor food access, consistent with the strategies identified in the City’s Food Action Plan.
Whole Foods remains the only signed commercial tenant for the project, confirmed its developers at last week’s Design Review meeting; they said they might lose the unsigned drugstore tenant because they pulled out the much-criticized drive-thru window that had been proposed. The Whole Foods (and supermarket-oversupply) arguments made by the mayor above have also been voiced at prior project meetings by representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, which, as noted in our preview of last week’s Design Review meeting, is spearheading a campaign called “Getting It Right for West Seattle” seeking a “community benefits agreement” for this project.
1:50 PM UPDATE: More background: It’s been almost exactly one year since we broke the news this development was in the works. It spans everything along 40th and along Fauntleroy between Edmunds and Alaska *except* the Alki Masonic Temple and its parking lot. Here’s the Fauntleroy view, as photographed today:
Here’s our February report from when the alley-vacation application was announced. According to the city website, the next steps in the process would be the SDOT recommendation – which, as noted in the mayor’s memo, he says should be thumbs-down – and then a public hearing before the council’s Transportation Committee, which is chaired by West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, which in turn would make a recommendation to be considered by the full council.
ADDED 5:37 PM: We’re expecting comment from the development team, no later than tomorrow. In the meantime, we just received unsolicited comment from Whole Foods’ regional president Joe Rogoff:
I wanted to contact you directly because the information that Mayor McGinn shared in his letter regarding Whole Foods Market is factually inaccurate and it’s important for us to set the record straight. The vast majority – 70-80 percent, depending on the store – of Whole Foods Market’s team members work full time and that will be reflected in the team members we hire for our West Seattle location. That’s opposite of many other supermarkets, where part-time employees are the norm.
We do more than provide team members with fair and livable wages and benefits. We create a great place for our team members to build a career. We offer training, competitive benefits, stock options for all team members, gain-sharing and much more. Company benefits include a team member store discount of 20-30%, health care coverage for domestic partners and a health spending account to help cover health care expenses. Nearly all of our part-time workers can participate in our health care benefits. Our average wage for non-leadership Team Members in our Seattle stores is $16.15/hr. which is excellent for grocers.
In addition to our team members, we are also committed to the health and well-being of the communities where we do business. In every local community, we cultivate valued partnerships with a wide range of organizations – from school districts to non-profits to academic institutions. Programs like our Local Producer Loan Program and funds made available through the Whole Kids Foundation to add salad bars and school gardens are examples of this commitment to community. In addition, quarterly 5 Percent Days provide direct funding to local non-profit partners.
We’re proud to have been part of Seattle since 1999, and that our 6 metro stores now employ over 1400 Team Members. Many of those Team Members live in West Seattle, and they’re excited to work in their immediate community. We’re also looking forward to being part of this vibrant community as we are in so many others – socially and environmentally conscious citizens who contribute in many ways. This store will employ another 150 or so Team Members, most of whom will be local.
We’re reaching out in hopes to meet with Mayor McGinn very soon to share the facts and discuss how Whole Foods Market is absolutely in line with the City’s core economic goals.
(July 2012 Jubilee Days fireworks; White Center Now photo by Nick Adams)
Just want to make sure you know about two fireworks shows coming up in the area later this week – maybe you’ll want to go see one or both, or maybe you’ll just want the heads-up on what the “booms” are. Tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 17th), the White Center Jubilee Days fireworks start at dusk at Steve Cox Memorial Park (where the WCJD carnival begins at 3 pm and continues through Sunday, by the way).
Then Saturday night, it’s the fireworks show first mentioned here July 1st – at 10 pm that night (July 20th), about 10 minutes of fireworks will be fired from a barge off the 4500 block of Beach Drive, related to a private celebration on Genesee Hill (though it will of course be publicly visible).
Thanks to “Diver Laura” James for sharing that look at a California sea cucumber in local waters – “underwater dust mop” was her nickname for it, and if you view the video (which shows it, rough cut, in two speeds) you’ll see why. Meantime, a quick look at some of what’s up around West Seattle today/tonight, whatever speed you’re traveling at:
FAMILY FUN AT LINCOLN PARK: Free stories and games with the Vashon Wilderness Project – here in West Seattle, at Lincoln Park. 10:30 am; details in our calendar listing.
BABY STORY TIME: 11:30 am, Southwest Library – details here. (35th/Henderson)
LUNCH AND LEARN: At the Senior Center of West Seattle, today’s 11:45 am lunch presentation features Clay Eals from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society talking about the historic Belvedere totem pole that is being restored for display at the SWSHS’s Log House Museum. Call ASAP to see if you can still get a lunch reservation; number and other details here. (California/Oregon)
THIS MIGHT BUG YOU: A local collector will present an “Insect Safari,” showing more than 3,000 insect specimens from around the world at Delridge Library, 2 pm. (Delridge/Brandon)
HI-YU CONCERT IN THE PARK: See, hear, and dance to (if you feel so moved) the West Seattle Big Band tonight, free, 7 pm, on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center/Park. Buy a Hi-Yu button while you’re there! Here’s ours:
Bonus during a break around 7:30 pm: Applaud Judy Pickens for her outstanding community service, as she receives this year’s Orville Rummel Trophy from American Legion Post 160, to be followed up with a VIP ride in this Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade.
BELLYDANCING AND KARAOKE: That’s the double bill tonight at Skylark Café and Club, 7:30 for the Alauda bellydancing showcase, 9 pm for Baby Ketten Karaoke. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Lots more nightlife on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!
Throughout the summer, the work of getting ready for the next school year proceeds – and if you have some time to spare this Thursday, Roxhill Elementary could use the help:
Roxhill Elementary School is in need of a few volunteers to stamp and sort new books for our classrooms. We will be meeting at 12:00 on Thursday, July 18, at the main office. We will be done by 3:00 at the latest. Come in comfy clothes as the building does not have a/c. Contact Amanda Shutters, amshutters@seattleschools.org (814) 335-6853 for more information. Service hours available!
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:55 AM: Another very warm day in the works! So far, all’s well with the morning commute.
8:24 AM UPDATE: Multiple reports say the approaches to the Fauntleroy end of the bridge are backed up worse than usual. No obvious reason why – possibly an earlier problem on eastbound I-90, near the I-5 exit, blocking a lane?
ALERT FOR THIS WEEKEND: Just in from Washington State Ferries:
Expect heavy traffic Friday, July 19-Sunday, July 21 due to Vashon Island’s popular annual Strawberry Festival. Please plan ahead and arrive at the terminal early in order to make your desired sailing.
West Seattle is full of baseball talent! Another team has won a regional championship – as announced by West Seattle Baseball:
On Sunday, West Seattle Baseball‘s 11u all-star team team defeated the Spokane all-stars twice to win the PONY Northwest Regional Championship. As champions, West Seattle will represent the Northwest Region at PONY’s West Zone tournament in Walnut California beginning on Thursday. Victory in California leads to the PONY World Series in Virginia in August.
Above, from left to right, are: Jackson Sullivan, Cristian Eastey-Toledo, Joe Sullivan, Kellen Carr, Dominic Pangelinan, Aidan McCann, Isaiah Running, Reuben Gut, Isaac Ajeto, Isaac Renz, Max Debiec, Tom Gut, Will Gard, Peter Eastey. Not pictured: Nuh’kosi Roberson, Brandon Lick.
West Seattle’s tournament run also included victories over all-star teams from North Seattle, Maltby, Enumclaw, and South Sound. West Seattle fought through the loser’s bracket after an early loss to South Sound, 5-3. The rematch on Saturday night was one of the best baseball games that many parents have seen, featuring a walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th inning by Isaac Ajeto to score Jackson Sullivan from second. Sullivan slid under the tag at the plate.
“It was hands-down the most exciting youth baseball game that I have seen,” said Marc McCann, parent and WS Baseball board member. “Of course, it helps to know each of these kids and to have watched them grow as people and players. It is a very special group.”
West Seattle Baseball was founded in 1958. It serves more than 500 players, ages 4-17, and their families each year. Programs include league play, all-star programs, summer developmental leagues, summer night sandlot games, winter training programs, and a variety of camps and clinics year-round. Follow the 11-y-o team in California on West Seattle Baseball’s Twitter feed: @westseabaseball.
We’re counting down all week to Saturday’s West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade (preceded again this year by two events in which you’re welcome to participate BEFORE watching the big parade – the Float Dodger 5K [registration info here] and the Rotary Club of West Seattle Kiddie Parade [participation info here]).
Tonight, parade coordinators – all volunteers – met at Post 160 to rough out the parade lineup. We observed for a while to pick up some tidbits about this year’s parade. For starters: Three far-flung participating groups are among the 70-plus entries. From 700 miles away, the Calgary Roundup Band, which won “Best Marching Band” in this parade two years ago, is returning.
(2011 Sequim float in Grand Parade, framegrab from WSB video)
From 70 miles away, the Sequim Irrigation Festival float will roll down California SW during the Grand Parade for the first time in a few years.
And once again this year, from 140 miles away, the Vancouver (B.C.) Police Motorcycle Drill Team will roar along the parade route, right after SPD’s own drill team.
The parade starts at 11 am Saturday; here’s the route. More previews as the countdown continues all week! And a reminder that tomorrow (Tuesday) night, one of this year’s community honorees, Orville Rummel Community Service Award winner Judy Pickens, will be formally feted during the West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park, a free event featuring the West Seattle Big Band, 7 pm Tuesday on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center/Park.
(Admiral Neighborhood Assoc. rallying at 47th/Admiral in 2011, with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen)
Money for a full traffic signal at 47th/Admiral, long sought by neighborhood leaders/advocates, won final approval from the City Council in a vote this afternoon, according to this announcement. It’s part of a spending plan for money saved from other projects; as reported here last month, the council made some changes in the original spending proposal from the mayor, who had proposed a technical study of a possible signal. The plan approved today also includes another $200,000 to continue designing the Fauntleroy Green Boulevard plan. And it includes money for added school-zone speed cameras on SW Roxbury, announced last month, near Roxhill Elementary and Holy Family School.
In a related action, a proposal to formalize the policy for spending speed-camera revenue on safety improvements was referred to a council committee. And it appears there’ll be a lot of that revenue unless people start slowing down; the text of the bill notes that while it was at one point projected the existing cameras, including the one for Fauntleroy Way SW near Gatewood Elementary, might bring in $800,000 this year, the projection has been revised to about $5 million. The policy is scheduled to be discussed and possibly voted on by the Government Performance and Finance Committee at City Hall this Wednesday morning at 9:30 am. Meantime, we’ll be checking with SDOT about the timeline for the 47th/Admiral signal now that the money’s apparently on the way.
If you’ve driven along 35th SW in the Westwood area today, you might have seen the aftermath of a hit-run crash early this morning: Around 3 am, four parked vehicles were hit in the 8800 block, just north of the Gasco station at SW Henderson, by what was described as a white SUV. It was last seen going eastbound on Henderson, according to police, who searched but didn’t find it. We photographed two of the hit vehicles (above) after hearing from area residents; then while writing this story, we heard directly from Nicole, who shared the photo of a third vehicle below, explaining all four belonged to members of her family (including one who was housesitting), and hoping someone can help solve the crime:
My niece’s KIA was hit first and then pushed up and along the rest of our vehicles, a large Ford pickup truck, white Toyota wagon, and a silver Isuzu pickup truck. Unfortunately most of our closest neighbors were also out of town. We are looking for any witnesses that didn’t come forward to the police when they were here this am.
Call 911 if you have any information about the hit-and-run vehicle and/or who was in it.
Out of the WSB inbox – Seattle Parks is hoping for a big volunteer turnout at Lincoln Park on July 26th, less than two weeks away:
Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Parks Foundation, Green Seattle Partnership, EarthCorps and six corporate sponsors, including REI, have teamed up to host Love Parks Day on Friday, July 26, at Lincoln Park. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers will clean the park and remove invasive vegetation species.
The goal is to have 200 volunteers who will work with Seattle Parks and Recreation crews and Friends of Lincoln Park who have identified projects throughout this 135-acre park.
There will be incentives – read on:
We didn’t get to publish a daily preview today, but here are two meetings of note:
GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL-HIRING PROCESS: 6:30 pm tonight at the school, a representative from Seattle Public Schools HR will lead a meeting about community input and priorities regarding the hiring of the school’s next principal. SPS’s Nathan Fitzpatrick “will lead our dialogue as well as give us information/answer questions about the hiring process, the make-up of the hiring team, etc.,” according to the meeting announcement. Gatewood parents are urged to attend. (If you missed the news, here’s our July 3rd story about principal Rhonda Claytor‘s move to a school outside West Seattle.)
WEST SEATTLE WOMEN IN CHARGE: This networking group for local business owners will meet at West Seattle Office Junction (5230-B California SW) at 7 pm tonight. “We will have wine & healthy snacks ready … so bring your business cards and more snacks to share, if you’d like,” says WSOJ proprietor Christine Bartels. Here’s the Facebook event page.
(With the mayor: SW Precinct Capt. Joe Kessler, center, and Lt. Ron Smith, right)
After a tour of West Seattle with Seattle Police‘s West Seattle leadership, Mayor McGinn met the media (WSB and three TV stations showed up) this morning for a Q/A session outside the Southwest Precinct. He’s been doing this at every precinct; West Seattle was originally scheduled for July 5th, but breaking news that day elsewhere in the city forced a postponement to today. First, here’s our video of today’s entire 32-minute briefing/Q-A session with the mayor and precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler:
We asked about something that was a hot topic on the post-Independence Day Friday when this event was originally scheduled – this year’s fireworks craziness, which was not just a West Seattle hot topic (we saw it come up on multiple neighborhood sites around the city, as well as sparking regional-media coverage). The mayor agreed there would need to be “a dialogue” before next Fourth of July, but also insisted “the community” would have to step up here, since it was beyond SPD’s ability to deal with possibly thousands of violations. We also asked about the status of the SPD surveillance cameras installed from Fauntleroy to Alki to Harbor Island and beyond (our coverage archive is here), which the mayor had said would not be activated until a “thorough public vetting” had taken place. The next step, he said, would be for “protocols” to go to the City Council, at which time there would be more public vetting; no timetable so far, though originally, when we first reported on this almost six months ago, SPD was working toward a March 31 target for activation.
While robbery and burglary numbers for the Southwest Precinct were higher in the first half of this year than a year earlier, Capt. Kessler said they had dropped in recent weeks due to some key arrests. Having reported some of those arrests here, we asked the mayor if his administration works with King County on issues such as prosecution of the suspects; he said they do. (No specifics.) Capt. Kessler also mentioned that SPD has changed up its Alki patroling strategy to some degree this summer, focusing on nighttime rather than daytime, and so far, no major problems. Alki was part of the tour the mayor took before the precinct Q/A; he said he also had visited High Point to talk about issues such as those raised at last week’s community meeting (WSB coverage here) and had been to the “Nickelsville” encampment – where, he said, the population has been going up, not down (we have heard a recent estimate of 170). On our video, you’ll also hear the mayor answering some non-WS questions asked by the TV crews.
The entire visit was pegged to a followup on the Safe Communities initiative, which included a meeting here in West Seattle nine months ago (WSB coverage here). A city staffer handed out paper copies of a handout with West Seattle-specific toplines on how concerns raised at that time had been dealt with since; we’re checking to see if we can get a digital copy to attach here.
ADDED: Here’s the aforementioned report.
Every so often, we get a question about whether Admiralty House Antiques in The Admiral District is open or closed. Our somewhat tongue-in-cheek answer has usually been “yes.” But soon, the answer will be definitively “closed.” Chris Foss from Foss Estate Sales has announced that Admiralty House’s owner Fred Dau is retiring at age 97 after more than 45 years in business, and “has hired Foss Estate Sales to liquidate the inventory and all the store fixtures.” We stopped by Admiralty House (2141 California SW) this morning as Foss prepared for the sale, for a quick peek at some of the items (like those above) that Foss is cataloging. He says his photos and info will start appearing on this special webpage soon. The sale will run 8 am-4 pm Friday, July 26th, and 9 am-4 pm each of the following two days.
8:52 AM: Another West Seattle leadership change for Seattle Public Schools. In addition to six principal changes for the coming school year, all of the district’s West Seattle/South Park principals will have a new supervisor – 
Carmela Dellino (right) is leaving her job as the Executive Director of Schools for the Southwest Region after one year.
News of this first emerged in an open discussion on the Seattle Schools Community Forum website over the weekend (thanks to the WSB’ers who called that to our attention!); we have just confirmed it with Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Teresa Wippel. She tells WSB that Dellino, who was principal of West Seattle’s Roxhill Elementary School before taking the district management job, announced it in a note to co-workers. Here is an excerpt Wippel shared:
It is with mixed emotions that I send this email to all of you. After much reflection and discussion with my family, I have made the decision to pursue the opportunity to work for the City of Seattle and support the elementary schools that are the Family and Education Levy recipients.
Throughout the last five years I have truly enjoyed working with and learning from you. I feel honored to have worked with such an outstanding group of educators who are dedicated to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps. I experienced a great deal of joy over the last 5 years, serving the children, families, principals, staff, and communities of West Seattle and the southeast region. Additionally, my central office colleagues were always there for me and I am deeply appreciative of the support and guidance I received. Without a doubt, I learned so much from everyone. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with outstanding principals and educational teams in the committed efforts for ALL students’ success. I feel lucky that I can continue to be affiliated with many of you.
Thank you for your support, partnership and dedication to serving our students. I wish each and every one of you the very best.
Dellino’s appointment as this area’s Executive Director was announced almost exactly one year ago. That was one month after her predecessor in the role, Aurora Lora, announced she was leaving, after two years, for a job in Texas. SPS has not yet announced the plan for a replacement (or search for one). In each of the “regions” served by Seattle Public Schools, principals report to an Executive Director; here in what the district considers the Southwest Region, six of the 16 schools are changing principals for next year – Chief Sealth International High School, Madison Middle School, and Alki, Gatewood, Lafayette, and Sanislo Elementary Schools.
ADDED 4:42 PM: We sought more information about Dellino’s new job. We learned from the city that it’s a position as an Elementary School Innovation Consultant for the city’s Office for Education, working with schools that are receiving Innovation funds under the Families and Education Levy, and she’s expected to start in early August; it’s an existing position that became open when someone left recently.
(Click image for full-size PDF view)
The neighborhood council for the areas at the epicenter of West Seattle’s major changes is getting ready to re-launch. The Junction Neighborhood Organization – JuNO – has been dormant a while for a variety of reasons, but is getting ready to re-launch – and making this call for involvement:
Do you live in the West Seattle Urban Hub? Do you love West Seattle and envision a beautiful Junction and Triangle community?
If yes, then you can join your West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Organization: JuNO!
JuNO is a community group from the Alaska Junction and Triangle neighborhoods who volunteer to make this neighborhood the best to live, work, and play in!
In 5 years, will we still have parades, street fairs, and Halloween at the Junction? Will we have enough parks and green space with the new developments? How can parking and beautification be addressed with the City? Can we preserve our community feel and manage density and development? JuNO is a neighborhood advocacy group that provides a voice for sensible growth. Join JuNO and be a part of shaping our growing community!
7/16 – Pre-Launch Meeting
Seeking interested individuals to be actively involved on the board and on committees … we will be forming a new leadership team for 2013!7/23 – First Juno Meeting of 2013
Hot topics you want to discuss? Attend and let us know what matters most to you.Both meetings will be held at the West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 SW Oregon, from 6:30-7:30 pm in the Alhadeff room.
We look forward to seeing you!
René Commons
Interim Director
wsjuno@yahoo.com
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
Junction streets and bus stops are back open after three spectacular days of fun at West Seattle Summer Fest – thanks yet again to everyone who made it happen, visitors included! Now, back to something resembling a routine … No announced closures/road work this week – but remember that next Saturday (July 20th) brings the Float Dodger 5K, Rotary Kiddie Parade, and West Seattle Grand Parade; we’ll talk about the accompanying changes/closures starting tomorrow.
More major summer events ahead this week – starting with Tuesday night’s West Seattle Hi-Yu Concert in the Park. Bring a chair/blanket to the east lawn of 
Hiawatha Community Center/Park (the Walnut Avenue side) and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band at 7 pm Tuesday (July 16th). Hi-Yu royalty will be there – so, though the concert’s free, bring a few dollars if you can and buy a button to support the city’s last traveling community float (which you’ll subsequently see in next Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade). During a break in the music on Tuesday, you’ll also get a chance to applaud this year’s Orville Rummel Community Service Award honoree, local watershed advocate (and more) Judy Pickens, who will also be in the parade, with the trophy that’s being presented Tuesday. Hope to see you at the concert Tuesday – it’ll be a great way to cool down after a day that just might make it into the mid-80s.
Thanks to Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bike Connections for sharing photos from today’s “Mini-STP” bicycle ride – a family-friendly ride for those who didn’t make it to the Seattle-to-Portland megaride this weekend. Above, they gathered at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, near the Seattle (Street) start in North Admiral; below, the Portland (Street) stop in Gatewood:
Don reports, “About 30 riders made it from SW Seattle St to SW Portland Street in about an hour, and were at West Seattle Summer Fest in another 45 minutes and a nice easy pace.” Once there, a transportation discussion ensued at the GreenLife zone. You can see more photos on the WSBC Facebook page.
The date is now set for a public meeting focusing on a proposed development project in Alki that would not have been the subject of a meeting if area residents hadn’t requested one. We first reported in April on neighbors gathering signatures to convince the city to schedule a meeting about 11 residential “rowhouse” units proposed at 2414 55th SW; then in May, we published a followup with word that the city agreed to host a meeting. Now, neighbor Marie McKinsey says the meeting is set for 6:30 pm this coming Wednesday, July 17th, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, “to give residents an opportunity to comment on the environmental impacts of the rowhouse project proposed … Comments can be written, oral or both. All will become part of the public record on this project.” McKinsey’s been researching the situation and writing about it online; she even maps out an alternative for the site. Everyone’s welcome at the Wednesday meeting, by the way; Youngstown is at 4408 Delridge Way SW.
(Photo courtesy Scott Taylor – thanks!)
5:51 PM: A power-pole problem – reported a few hours ago as “wires down” – has led police to block off Bonair just south of Alki Avenue (map), so you can’t turn onto Bonair from Alki, and you can’t get to Alki from Bonair. No ETA for a fix; we’ll check back at the scene later.
10:48 PM UPDATE: As of about half an hour ago, Luke Trier reports – sharing the photo below – the crew’s still “working tirelessly”:
11:14 PM UPDATE: An update from Luke – the crews are gone and it appears the pole’s fixed and the road’s open.
Even if you’ve already been to West Seattle Summer Fest this year, come on down one more time before it’s over! Thanks to Krista for sharing the top photo – “beautiful day in The Junction,” she noted; so true! Music, shopping, food, art, and more – it’s all here, until 5 pm. Art, by the way, is here to observe, to purchase, and to create – Jessie shared this photo from the kids’ area by Wells Fargo, where youth can create along with Young At Art:
For our quick links to info – see our first morning report. And we would love to share your festival photos too – share them by e-mail at editor@westseattleblog.com, or via the WSB Facebook page.
1:38 PM NOTE: From Don Bereiter at Prudential NW Realty (WSB sponsor), whose booth has a fun game to check out: “For every child that participates, we are donating a can of food to the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks. 979 so far. Come on out and help a great cause!” (added) Here’s Tom Root and Chariti McEndoe photographed late in the day – note the counter’s gone up:
2:40 PM UPDATE: The last musical act of the day, The Jellyrollers, is scheduled to start right about now. Earlier, we caught Jazzberry with a young fan up front:
Summer Fest has been a bit lighter on political visitors than past years, but we’ve seen two mayoral candidates so far at the Info Booth – Mayor Mike McGinn, talking with, at right, Dave Montoure and Nancy Woodland from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:
And State Sen. Ed Murray, photographed talking with Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association:
WSJA, by the way, presents Summer Fest every year. Meantime, outside West Seattle Optix, balloon-making was in full swing earlier:
And there’s still time to get down and meet representatives of businesses, organizations, and service providers – we photographed Lisa at the Highline Medical (WSB sponsor) booth, handing out reusable bags.
More to come in the final few hours!
3:42 PM UPDATE: Just got a chance to upload video from today’s first performance onstage – that’s Rat City Brass! The festival is still crowded yet mellow. SPD Lt. Ron Smith, who heads up the on-site Summer Fest patrol, tells us there have been no major problems (and few minor ones) throughout the three days. As for the rest of West Seattle – we’ll get an update tomorrow, when the Southwest Precinct hosts the mayor, as the precincts around the city have been doing, for the latest on the Safe Communities project.
4:35 PM UPDATE: Down to the last half-hour, already. Another politician visited a little while ago:
With County Executive Dow Constantine – who said he had been making the rounds of festivals, including Kent Cornucopia Days earlier in the day – that’s Hamilton Gardiner and Jerome Cohen with him, both in the Info Booth today as community volunteers representing the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
5:04 PM UPDATE: And Summer Fest is a wrap for 2013. Thanks to everyone who’s been part of it – whether visitor, vendor, exhibitor, performer, staffer, local year-round merchant, volunteer, law enforcer, sponsor, etc. … it’s been awesome. We’ll have an update later tonight when the streets reopen – it’ll take a few hours for cleanup/breakdown/loadout.
P.S. Just for fun, we have a photo album on the WSB Facebook page with some of the dogs spotted at Summer Fest – see it here.
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